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I have a Janome 7700 that I use for most of my quilting. It has 11" to the right of the needle. I suggest that you check to see what is available in your area and which sales centers have good in house service. Then buy the most machine that you can afford. All of the major brands e.g. Janome, Pfaff, Babylock, Bernina, Viking etc. are excellent machines. It is most important to find good service and a dealer that will give classes on the machines.

It is also good to decide which features are the most important to you. Needle up/down, thread cutter, ease of threading, ease of changing feet, and the biggy for me throat space. Good luck on your search. I hope that you find the perfect machine for you.

hi ginnyq, welcome to the group. i agree with everything nana says. about getting a machine, that is, not everything, everything. you never know what's going to pop out of her mouth on other subjects. : )

I have two Kenmores, which are good machines, but I'm thinking a stitch regulator would be nice

If I were able to buy a new machine, the top features I'd want is a deep throat, at least 10", and a built in stitch regulator. My Viking Sapphire has a 10" throat and I can quilt anything on it but it is a struggle with large quilts. I really really wish I had a stitch regulator. I know the Bernina's have a model with one but I believe they are pricey. I'm going to be working until I'm 103 as it is, no more large purchases for me.

Giiny ,I do all my own quilting and I have a janome 6600, it has alittle smaller thorat space then the one Nana mentioned ,but it works great anyway , it has all the bells and whisltes ,I have gotten my stitches down so don't feel the need to have a stitch regulator but I know alot of floks like them,I just don't have the money to get one, good luck on your search , and I wanted to welcome you to the club. barbara

Liberty,Missouri

Thank you so much for your welcome and your advice! I really do want the stitch regulator because I've decided I'll never get the stitches regulated on my own. And the big throat space is very important too. What do y'all mean about needle up/down? Don't the needles go up and down on all machines??

Alot of machines now have a button to push that will keep the needle in the down position when you stop sewing. This is great when you are Free Motion Quilting because it keeps things from moving before you are ready. I hope this makes sense because I am not sure at present if anything I type makes sense....ROFLOL

Nana I agree with you. I bought a Viking Sapphire 835 a year ago Christmas. Took the classes then didn't get to use it (taking care of my mom) so I just attended another free class on how to use the machine and hopefully go to the 2nd one on Fri. The classes were very important to me. Also the throat space is 10 or 11 inches. I love that feature. I wish my machine had a bobbin warning when it runs out though.

If you are going to continue using your Kenmores for piecing, you might look at the HQ Sweet Sixteen for your quilting needs. It has a stitch regulator and a 16 inch throat and a wonderful big table for sliding your quilt top across.

On the banks of the Mississippi River in north central Minnesota (Brainerd lakes area)

OMG MNnancy I want one of these sweet machines. Of course as always funds are not available for one, but if I had the money this would be the investment. I have absolutely limited space with 4 machines in my sewing room, but I WILL take over the master bedroom to have this machine. Now on to the question at hand, I too have Janome machines, and I love the dealer I have, he is very knowledgeable and he is close, on most things now I just call him. A good dealer is essential to your sewing well being. Nana's Janome 7700 is a top line for quilting throat space and stitch regulator. ( I am a bit bias on Janome)Barbara's Janome 6600 is a fine machine, however as stated, buy all the machine you can afford. Do some research take a few road trips on the machines and decide what you love about them all. Then shop around, perhaps a used machine someone had to have and does not use. If buy a machine for quilting it must have the regulator; as my hands are very arthritic and they tend to twitch, fall asleep or tingle with pain when I move the fabrics.

Thanks Carylanne. I have arthritis too, which is why machine quilting is so important to me! I do plan to shop around, but hearing about the personal experiences with various machines is very important to me. This conversation is great!